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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Definitely not what I thought this would be, although once I write that I'm not even sure what I thought I was getting in to. The story dives deep into philosophy in a way that is heavy, confusing and does not quite "promise a new way of living" or whatever else a lot of the reviews said. Not recommended by me, although maybe I just didn't "get it"
Reading it again...I think it takes time and patience to absorb this book. I have read it 3 or 4 times now, and I think back on it often. It is NOT a quick or easy read, but something you can put down and come back to as you wish.
Something I found incredibly valuable (pun) about this book, was how cogent one could write about abstract ideas for a general reader. I'm not a philosophy student, know even less about mechanics, and I found the writing about pure ideas in this book to be clearer than I think I have ever encountered before.
I can see why this is an often-recommended classic. I had avoided reading it for years because I was not particularly interested in either Zen or motorcycles, but it's really about the history of philosophy, which interests me a great deal. There is some mysticism in it, but also a whole lot of really useful information and more than information, new ways of looking at things.
The author, Robert Pirsig, talks about the split between the "classical" analytical way of approaching the world and the "romantic" sort of holistic and "groovy" way of approaching the world. Classical thinkers spend a lot of time feeling contemptuous of Romantic thinkers for being too dreamy, too focused on surface appearances, not serious enough, too wacky and undisciplined. Romantic thinkers spend a lot of time thinking that Classical thinkers are too "square," too focused on boring details instead of just taking in art and music and the landscape as a whole, that Classical thinkers spend too much time thinking and analyzing and don't spend enough time feeling and appreciating things for what they are. One of his postulates is that both kinds of thinking are needed, and a bigger worldview that incorporates both modes of thinking is needed. He says that's why so many of us feel alienated by modern technological society.
The author, Robert Pirsig, talks about the split between the "classical" analytical way of approaching the world and the "romantic" sort of holistic and "groovy" way of approaching the world. Classical thinkers spend a lot of time feeling contemptuous of Romantic thinkers for being too dreamy, too focused on surface appearances, not serious enough, too wacky and undisciplined. Romantic thinkers spend a lot of time thinking that Classical thinkers are too "square," too focused on boring details instead of just taking in art and music and the landscape as a whole, that Classical thinkers spend too much time thinking and analyzing and don't spend enough time feeling and appreciating things for what they are. One of his postulates is that both kinds of thinking are needed, and a bigger worldview that incorporates both modes of thinking is needed. He says that's why so many of us feel alienated by modern technological society.
for a guy who drones on about quality, this book sure doesn’t have much of it
the story of father and son traveling across multiple states on his motorcycle and the author retelling his experiences when he was a younger and different man were good and quite interesting and it’s what kept me in the book
the philosophy was… meh
the story of father and son traveling across multiple states on his motorcycle and the author retelling his experiences when he was a younger and different man were good and quite interesting and it’s what kept me in the book
the philosophy was… meh
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A work of high quality, a book one must read at least once.